According to official sources, leaders from the top European Union countries have been invited to part of the celebration.
FIle Photo: ANI
The 77th Republic Day of India will be celebrated this year on January 26 with a focus on two themes: the 150th anniversary of the song ‘Vande Mataram’, and the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Initiative’, as per the Central government’s plans.
According to official sources, leaders from the top European Union countries have been invited to part of the celebration. On the 150th anniversary of the release of the first two stanzas of the song during this Republic-Day event, various nationwide activities and competitions have been organised under a special theme, where patriotism and respect for the motherland will be honoured.
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A summit titled ‘India Top Conference’ has been organised to finalise the long-delayed ‘Free Trade Agreement’ (FTA) with the leaders of the European Union. Various ministries have also been tasked with promoting and rebranding this initiative. Citizens are being encouraged to upload videos singing ‘Vande Mataram’ through the ‘My India’ portal and to participate in competitions involving writing or painting about ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. The 77th Republic Day will resonate with the spirit of patriotism and self-reliance, inspired by the tune and essence of ‘Vande Mataram’.
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European Union (EU) leaders Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, are expected to arrive in India a few days ahead of the Republic Day and will be present as the chief guests on the occasion. The Ministry of Defence has organised a torch relay and a special flypast based on the theme ‘Vande Mataram’. Mrs. Von der Leyen and Mr. Costa are likely to be on stage together to attend the parade alongside President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Although it is a common practice to invite the leaders of another country, there is no established tradition of inviting the leaders of a group as the chief guest. However, in 2018, the then Union government invited the leaders of 10 ASEAN countries. In January 2022, due to the rise in COVID cases, the government had to cancel its plan to invite the leaders of five Asian countries for the Republic Day celebrations.
On January 27, following the Republic Day, the President’s residence will host an ‘At Home’ event for distinguished guests, organized by the President, where leaders from the European Union are expected to be present. Additionally, they will participate in the ‘EU-India Summit’ alongside Prime Minister Modi. Subsequently, it is reported by government sources that a meeting may take place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, to finalize the long-stalled ‘Free Trade Agreement’ (FTA) with the leaders of the European Union. The invitation card for this event, which currently includes the terms “VIP” and “VVIP” on the pass, is planned by the ministry to feature only the logo of the initiative “150 Years of Vande Mataram”, according to government sources.
The Ministry of Culture is also planning to connect their campaign portal with the ‘My India’ portal, which has approximately twenty million users. Government officials have stated that during the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi, there will be an event themed ‘Vande Mataram’, alongside musical performances by military bands at the cantonment, as well as music presentations by various schools, college campuses, and National Cadet Corps (NCC) bands across the country. In this manner, the 150th anniversary of the song ‘Vande Mataram’ will be celebrated, which has become a rallying call in the context of the Indian independence movement.
Additionally, the authorities responsible for planning the event along the duty route have indicated that discussions are underway regarding the proposal to move the traditional ‘flypast’ or aerial display from the end of the parade to the middle of the event. This consideration has been made with the aim of enhancing “visibility and audience engagement”. The authorities have also stated that the ‘flypast’ or aerial display will be themed. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been requested to create a 25-minute film focusing on the national anthem and its author, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
According to government sources, under the leadership of Home Secretary Govind Mohan, plans for changes during the Democracy Day event were discussed in the meeting held on October 24. In that meeting, Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal presented a detailed proposal, which has received approval from the ‘National Implementation Committee’ under Home Minister Amit Shah.
It is not clear yet whether the initiative to rebrand the Republic Day celebrations with the theme ‘Vande Mataram’ will have a lasting impact on the future. However, according to government sources, in 2023, the government had a similar plan to emphasise ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’ but was later compelled to use the term ‘Indian Republic’ due to certain event obligations.
According to government sources, the committee has also instructed the Ministry of External Affairs to organise a cultural evening featuring the “National Anthem” at all Indian embassies and missions located abroad, as well as a “Global Music Festival”. All ambassadors and heads of missions have been ordered to write articles for local newspapers in the regions where they are stationed, and they have also been directed to arrange detailed discussion forums on this matter.
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